Cynthia Erivo, known for her role as Elphaba in Wicked, has landed her next movie role in a unique action thriller from the team behind John Wick. According to Deadline, Erivo will star in Karoshi, a legal thriller with a samurai twist.
The film’s title, Karoshi, refers to the phenomenon of death from overwork, and the story will unfold in a Japanese-inspired version of New York City. Erivo will be joined by Past Lives and The Recruit star Teo Yoo, as well as 1883’s Isabel May. John Wick director Chad Stahelski will produce the film through his company, 87Eleven Entertainment, in collaboration with Lionsgate.
Production is set to begin in June, with Takashi Doscher directing from his own script. Although plot and character details are being kept under wraps, the project is already generating significant buzz.
In addition to her new role in Karoshi, Erivo will also appear in the second season of Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face and in the upcoming second part of Wicked, officially titled Wicked: For Good. The new Wicked film will see changes to the character of Nessarose, with a scene involving her disability being reworked to focus more on the story’s magic rather than her pleas for it to be fixed.
Erivo’s exciting new projects come as John Wick star Keanu Reeves confirmed that the character of John Wick won’t return after Chapter 4, although the Ballerina spin-off is set for release this summer.